The CDC director has warned of “impending doom” in the fight against COVID. Once again, the country is seeing a spike in cases in most states.

Minnesota is one of the states that has recently reported an increase in hospitalizations. That’s a worrying trend.

What’s behind this trend? Public health officials point to the warming weather, which for winter-weary Minnesotans means getting out of the house more and traveling. But since late January, the state has also been battling the more contagious and perhaps more deadly strain of COVID—the B-one-one-seven variant.

Yet Minnesota has two points in its favor. The state has opened vaccine eligibility to all residents sixteen and older. With more Minnesotans vaccinated, the virus has fewer opportunities to spread.

And Minnesota is one of the states that still requires the wearing of masks. As annoying as wearing a mask can be, it’s one of the best tools we have to keep ourselves and those around us safe.

With the vaccine rollout, it’s easy to forget that people are still getting sick and dying from COVID. But there is a light at the end of the tunnel. And health experts say we’ll get there with vaccinations and the simple rules we’ve been following all along: mask wearing, social distancing and hand washing.